Cooling system for rod or bar coils

ABSTRACT

A system for the cooling of annular coils of rod or bar includes a plurality of coil carriers movable by a conveyor between coil loading and unloading stations, each coil carrier having a bed which supports one end of a coil with the axis of the coil annulus extending perpendicular to the bed and which permits the circulation of air through the bed to the central space of a coil annulus during passage of the coil carriers through a cooling zone. A plurality of coil covers are provided, and cover handling apparatus located at coil covering and uncovering stations preceding and following the cooling zone is capable of placing a cover on the other end of a carrier supported coil at the covering station, the cover extending across the central space of the coil annulus, and of removing the cover at the uncovering station. Covers removed are returned to the covering station either on empty coil carriers returning to the loading station or on an auxiliary conveyor having carriers circulating between the covering and uncovering stations.

United States Patent Boehm et al.

COILS Filed:

COOLING SYSTEM FOR ROD OR BAR Inventor s: Walter G. Boehm, Birmingham;

Gordon A. Torrance, Riverview, both of Mich.

Assignee: Jervis B. Webb Company, Detroit,

Mich.

Oct. 2, 1972 Appl. N0.: 294,359

[52] US. Cl. 266/2 A, 148/153, 432/77 [51] Int. Cl C2ld 9/52 [58] Field of Search 266/2 R, 2 A; 148/153, 148/148, 156; 432/77, 78

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 627,723 6/1899 Edwards 266/2 R 1 ,675,949 7/1928 McKee .1 266/2 R X 1,816,253 7/1931 Girshowitch 266/2 R 2,043,456 6/1936 Watrous, Jr.... 266/2 R X 2,516,248 7/1950 OBrien 148/156 X 2,657,036 10/1953 Nichols 266/2 R 2,781,188 2/1957 McKeown 266/2 R 3,442,029 Adair 148/156 X Primary ExaminerRoy Lake Assistant Examiner-James F. Coan Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Farley, Forster and Farley [57] ABSTRACT A system for the cooling of annular coils of rod or bar includes a plurality of coil carriers movable by a conveyor between coil loading and unloading stations, each coil carrier having a bed which supports one end of a coil with the axis of the coil annulus extending perpendicular to the bed and which permits the circulation of air through the bed to the central space of a coil annulus during passage of the coil carriers through a cooling zone. A plurality of coil covers are provided, and cover handling apparatus located at coil covering and uncovering stations preceding and following the cooling zone is capable of placing a cover on the other end of a carrier supported coil at the covering station, the cover extending across the central space of the coil annulus, and of removing the cover at the uncovering station. Covers removed are returned to the covering station either on empty coil carriers returning to the loading station or on an auxiliary conveyor having carriers circulating between the covering and uncovering stations.

20 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMAY 28 mm SHEUilWS I COOLING SYSTEM FOR ROD OR BAR COILS SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an improved system for cooling annular coils of rod or bar stock, which system, in comparison with present systems for accomplishing such a cooling operation, reduces the likelihood of coil damage, increases the efficiency and cleanliness of the cooling operation, and enables the physical characteristics of the metal forming a single coil to be improved as a result of a more uniform cooling of the individual strands which form the coil.

The system of the invention for cooling annular coils of rod or bar comprises coil conveying means capable of supporting one end of a coil with the axis of the coil annulus extending perpendicular and moving the coils between a loading station at which a coil is placed upon the conveying means and an unloading station at which a coil is removed from the conveying means. A plurality of coil covers are provided, each cover having a surface engageable with the other end of a coil supported on the conveying means, the cover surface being adapted to extend transversely across the central portion of the coil annulus. Apparatus for handling the coil covers includes a transfer device at a covering station following the loading station for placing the cover on the other end of a coil supported on the conveying means, and a transfer device at an uncovering station preceding the unloading station for removing the cover from the coil. A cooling zone located between the covering and uncovering stations includes means for circulating air through the covered coils as they move through the cooling zone.

Preferably, the conveying means includes a plurality ofcoil carriers, each coil carrier consisting ofa car having wheels adapted to travel on a pair of rails, and the means for circulating air through the covered coils includes a plenum chamber provided below and between the pair of rails. The conveying means is operable to forward the coil carriers from the covering to the uncovering stations in a close-packed relation in which the carrier form a partial cover for the plenum chamber, the bed of each carrier being provided with a passage which permits the circulation of air between the plenum chamber and a covered coil supported on the bed of the carrier. With this arrangement, cooling air is forced from the plenum chamber into the central space of the annulus of each covered coil and dissipates outwardly in radial directions relative to the coil axis through the individual strands of metal forming the coil, thereby achieving a more uniform, more efficient cooling operation, and reducing the incidence of dust, dirt and scale blown into the atmosphere during the cooling operation.

Each coil cover preferably includes a cover member having the coil engaging surface, and a mandrel on which the cover member is slidably mounted, one end of the mandrel having a nose portion adapted to be projected axially through a coil mounted on a coil carrier, the nose portion of the mandrel registering with and engaging a socket provided on the bed of the carrier. The other end of the mandrel is equipped with means engageable by the transfer devices of the coil cover handling apparatus for enabling the cover to be placed on and removed from the coil. The cover member is relatively heavy, and engages the coil with a certain degree 2 of positioning and compacting action which contributes to the uniformity of the cooling operation and also aids in preventing the coil from becoming disarranged.

Covers removed from the coils at the uncovering station are returned to the covering station, either on empty coil carriers returning from the unloading to the loading station, or by the provision of an auxiliary coil cover conveyor.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the description to follow of the representative embodiments thereof disclosed in the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a schematic plan view of a coil cooling system of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation, taken as indicated by the arrows 22 of FIG. 1, showing the coil covering station of the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevation taken as indicated by the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view, similar to FIG. 1 but showing an alternate form of the system of the invention; and,

FIG. 5 is a sectional elevation similar to FIG. 3 but showing the coil covering station of the system of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The system of the invention shown in FIG. I is designed to be used with two pouring reels (not shown) on which annular coils 10 of rod or bar stock are formed and are delivered to loading stations 12 and 14, but this arrangement is illustrative only as the system can readily be employed with a greater or lesser number of pouring reels. While these formed coils may not be uniform in size, each will consist of multiple strands of rod or bar stock formed into an annular body having a pair of ends 15 and 16 (FIG. 2) and a central space 17 extending axially between the ends. These hot annular coils 10 are delivered to the system of the invention for cooling.

This system includes coil conveying means 18 capable of supporting one end of a coil 10 and moving the coil through a cooling zone 19. The conveying means illustrated comprises a plurality of coil carriers 20, best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, which are moved in a manner to be described between the loading stations 12 and I4 and an unloading station 21, the loaded carriers passing through the cooling zone 19.

Each coil carrier 20 is a car having wheels 22 adapted to travel on a pair of rails 23, the wheels 22 being mounted on a frame 24 together with a bed 26 capable of supporting one end 15 of a coil 10 with the axis of the coil annulus extending perpendicular to the bed. Each carrier in the construction shown can support a pair of coils 10, and the bed of the carrier consists of two sets of spaced beams, 27, 28 and 29, each set of beams being capable of supporting one coil. The outside beams 27 and 29 of each set are provided with cast iron caps 30; and, thecentral beam 28 of each set is also provided with a cast iron cap 31 and with a socket 32 for a purpose presently to be described. The spacing between the beams 27-29 in each set permits the coils to be loaded on and unloaded from the carriers at the loading stations 12 and 14, and at the unloading station 21, by a suitable fork lift transfer device 35; also, the spacing between thebeams 2729 provides an air passage 36 adapted to communicate with the central space 17 of a coil 10. Portions of the carrier other than the spaces between the beams 2729 are preferably cov ered by plates 38, as shown in FIG. 3.

In the construction shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the conveyor means at the loading stations 12 and 14 consists of a pair of roller chains 40 interconnected by transverse spacer bars 41 and trained about pairs of sprockets (not shown) in a conventional manner. A framework 42, including a pair of transversely spaced parallel beams 44, supports the upper reach of the roller chains 40, and pairs of rail sections 46 are secured to the roller chains 40 by suitable brackets 47, the spacing between the rail sections 46 corresponding to that between the rails 23. A suitable indexable type of drive mechanism (not shown) is connected to one of the sets of sprockets about which the chains 40 are trained so that a coil carrier 20 is first positioned at the loading station 12 for the loading of a coil onto one of the sets of beams 2729 of the carrier bed, and is then indexed to the loading station 14 for the loading of a second coil onto the other set of beams 27-29 of the carrier bed. When the carrier is positioned at the loading station 14, the rail sections 46 on which the carrier wheels are supported are aligned with the pair of rails 23.

A carrier 20 supported on a pair of rail sections 46 of the roller chains 40 at the loading station 14 is engaged by forwarding means 48 and advanced onto the rails 23 to a covering station 49 following the loading station and thence along a forwarding section 50 to an uncovering station 51 preceding the unloading station 21, the covering and uncovering stations 49 and 51 to be described below. The forwarding means 48 advances the carriers in a close-packed relation and consists of a pair of drive members 52 (FIGS. 2 and 3) mounted on a shuttle device including a carriage 54 supported on a pair of rails 55 mounted below and between the carrier supporting rails 23 and movable on forwarding and return strokes by suitable drive means 56 a distance corresponding to the length of a carrier in the forwarding direction of movement indicated by the arrow 58 in FIG. 1, the drive members 52 being raised on the forwarding stroke and lowered on the return stroke by suitable cam means 59. In the operation of this carrier forwarding means, the carrier 20 engaged by the drive members 52 engages and pushes all preceding carriers, and as shown in FIG. 2, the carriers are provided along their engaging edges with bumpers 60.

At the unloading station 21, the conveying means includes a pair of transversely moving roller chains 40, similar to those described above and provided at the loading stations 12 and 14, driven by an indexable type of drive mechanism (not shown) capable of advancing each carrier into positions in which a coil can be removed from each set of beams 2729 of the carrier bed by the fork lift device 35 at the unloading station and thence into a position of alignment with a pair of rails 61 of a return section 62 along which carriers are returned from the unloading station to the loading station in spaced relation and at a greater rate of travel by suitable means such as a pair of endless chains 63 equipped with driving dogs for pushing the carriers 20.

The conveying means thus includes forwarding and return sections along which carriers can be moved at desired rates and spacings and means for transferring carriers between these sections. Each carrier 20 is an individual component separate from all other carriers and not affixed to any of the propelling devices. In case of damage to a carrier it can simply be removed and replaced without causing extensive down time.

The system of the invention next includes a plurality of coil covers 64, best shown in FIG. 3, each cover including a mandrel 65 and a cover member 66 which is of relatively heavy, cast iron construction and has a surface 68 engageable with the upper end 16 of a coil 10 supported on the bed of a carrier 20 and adapted to extend transversely across the central portion 17 of the coil annulus. The mandrel 65 has a nose portion 70 at one end thereof which is engageable in one of the sock ets 32 in the bed of each carrier, the extent of such engagement being suitably limited so that the positional relationship between the mandrel 65 and the carrier bed is defined. A sleeve 72 is slidably mounted on the mandrel and is provided with an upper flange 73 having a portion projecting inwardly and engageable with a shoulder 74 between the stem and nose portion of the mandrel; and, the upper surface of the flange 73 is engageable with the surface 68 of the cover member 66 to provide a means for moving the cover member upwardly with upward movement of the mandrel and a means for limiting sliding movement of the cover member toward the nose portion 70 of the mandrel. The upper end 76 of the mandrel is provided with suitable means, such as a cylindrical cap 78 engageable by transfer devices of coil cover handling apparatus described below.

This coil cover handling apparatus includes a transfer device 80 at the covering station 49 for placing a cover on the other or upper end 16 of a coil 10 supported on a carrier 20, and a similar transfer device 81 at the uncovering station 51 for removing the cover from the coil. FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the transfer device 80 which consists of a carriage 82 equipped with wheels 83 supported on a pair of transversely extending rails 84 and movable thereon between the forwarding and return sections of the conveying means by a transverse drive device 86 having a sprocket 87 engaging a chain 88 connected between anchors 89 at the ends of the rails 84. Suitable structure 90 on the carriage 82 supports and guides a lift frame 92 for vertical movement relative to the carriage under the control of a lift drive 93 which includes a sprocket 94 engaging a chain 95, the ends 96 of which are anchored to the lift frame 92. A pair of hooks 97, spaced apart a distance corresponding to the spacing between the sockets 32 in the bed beams 28 of a carrier 20, are each connected by a pivot 98 to the lower portion of the lift frame 92 and are movable by an actuator 99 to engage and disengage the hook 96 from the handling cap 78 on the upper end of the mandrel of a coil cover.

The transfer device 81 at the uncovering station 51 is similar in construction.

Between the covering station 49 and the uncovering station 51, the carriers 20 being advanced along the forward section 50 in close-packed relation pass through the cooling zone 19 which is equipped with means for circulating air through the covered coils. The means for circulating air in the construction shown (FIG. 3) includes a plenum chamber 100 provided below and between the carrier supporting rails 23 and equipped with ducts 102 through which air is forced through the air passages 36 in the carrier bed and into the central space 17 of a covered coil. This air then moves outwardly in directions radial to the axis of the coil annulus and filters through the individual strands of the coil.

At the uncovering station 51, the covers 64 are removed fromthe coils by the transfer device 81, the carriage of which is then moved transversely and the vertical frame lowered to load the covers onto an empty coil carrier on the return section 62 of the conveyor, the empty coil carriers thereby providing a means for returning coil covers from the uncovering to the covering station 49 where the covers are raised off of the carriers by the operation of the transfer device 80.

An alternate arrangement for handling the covers 64 is provided in the system of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. An auxiliary conveyor 104, of the overhead power and free type, has cover carriers 106 which circulate between the covering station 49 and the uncovering station 51 on a carrier supporting track 107, indicated by the solid line in FIG. 4. This auxiliary conveyor 104 is of conventional construction, each carrier 106 including a leading trolley 108, a trailing trolley 109 and a load bar 110 connected to these trolleys. The

leading trolley 109 is provided with a driving dog 11] engageable by a pusher 112 connected to a chain 113, the chain 113 being supported by trolleys 114 traveling on a track 115 mounted above the carrier supporting track 107 and being driven by a drive unit 116. The driving dog 111 ofthe leading trolley 109 is disengageable from the chain pusher 112 so that a carrier 106 can be stopped where desired. Further information on the construction of a trolley of this type having a disengageable driving dog may be found in US. Pat. No. 3,044,416, and information on the stopping of such carriers of a power and free conveyor in US. Pat. No. 3,229,645.

The transfer device at each of the covering and uncovering stations 49 and 50 comprises a lift section 118 provided in the carrier supporting track 107, the lift section being vertically movable between an upper position indicated in broken line in FIG. 5 and a lower position indicated in solid line. Such a lift section is further illustrated in US. Pat. No. 3,326,139, and hence need not be further described herein.

As shown in FIG. 5, a pair of hooks 120 are each pivotally connected to a fitting 122 secured to the carrier load bar 110 and are each pivotally movable by a suitable actuating device. as previously described, in order to be engaged with and disengaged from the handling cap 78 on the upper end of the mandrel 65 of a cover assembly 64. A carrier I06 arriving at either the covering station 49 or the uncovering station 51 is stopped, the lift section 118 is lowered and the carrier hooks 120 are actuated so as to be disengaged from a pair of cover assemblies at the covering station, or engaged therewith at the uncovering station.

Another feature included in the system illustrated in FIG. 4 is the provision in the coil conveying means 18 of a section 124 following the uncovering station 51 and preceding the unloading station 21 for the accumulation of cooled coils. The rails 23 on which the coil carriers 20 travel are extended a desired distance beyond the uncovering station 51, and a pair of chains 126, equipped with suitable releasable carrier pushers 127, are provided for propelling the coil carriers along the accumulation section at a desired rate.

Operation of the system of the invention disclosed in FIGS. l-3 will be briefly summarized. Starting at the loading station 12, a coil 10 is transferred onto the bed of a carrier 20 stopped at this station, and the transfer chains 40 are then driven to index the carrier to the loading station 14 where the carrier is again stopped and a second coil 10 loaded thereon. The loaded carrier 20 is then engaged by the drive members 52 of the shuttle drive carriage 54 and advanced to the covering station 49 where the transfer device is operated to lower a pair of cover assemblies 64, placing the mandrels 65 of these cover assemblies in engagement with the sockets 32 in the carrier and placing the cover members 66 on the upper ends of the coils, the cover members being self-locating on the mandrels to exert a desired compacting, positioning and sealing action on the coils. The carrier, now supporting the covered coils, is advanced through the cooling zone by successive forwarding strokes of the shuttle carriage 54 acting on the following carriers, while cooling of the coils on the carrier takes place as a result of circulation of air through the coils controlled by the air passages 36 and the cover members 66. When the carrier reaches the uncovering station 21, the transfer device 81 is lowered, the hooks thereof engaged with the caps 78 of the cover assemblies 64, and the transfer device 81 raises these covers, moves them transversely and places them on an empty carrier while the carrier supporting the uncovered coils is advanced onto the transfer chains 40 and indexed past the unloading station 21. The unloaded carrier is then advanced onto the rails 61 of the return section 62, loaded with a pair of covers, and returned to the transfer device 80 where the covers are removed.

In this operation, the loading of the coils on and the unloading of the coils from the carriers 20 are both accomplished while the carriers are at rest so that the likelihood of coil damage is reduced. Cooling of the coils is accomplished by controlled air circulation, defused through the individual strands of each coil, while each coil and its cover are supported in stabilized positions by the conveying means.

Operation of the system of FIGS. 4 and 5 is the same except for the variation in the manner in which the coil covers are returned from the uncovering station 51 to the covering station 50, and except for the fact that following the uncovering station 51 the coil carriers are advanced by the pushers 127 of the chains 126 along the section 124 of the conveying means 18 and may accumulate preceding the unloading station 21 to provide a reserve bank of cooled coils for subsequent processing operations.

The coil conveying means 18 disclosed herein, although presently preferred, are to be considered as illustrative of various possible forms of conveyors which could be adapted to transport the coils on end and be equipped with means such as the sockets 32 for positioning the mandrels 65 of the coil covers 64 relative to the conveyor.

We claim:

1. A system for cooling rod or bar stock formed into annular coils, each coil having a pair of ends and a central space extending axially between the ends, comprismg:

coil conveying means including a plurality of coil carriers, each coil carrier comprising a car having wheels adapted to travel on a pair of rails, and having a coil supporting bed capable of supporting one end of each coil, and means for moving the coil carriers between a loading station at which a coil is placed upon a conveying means and an unloading station at which a coil is removed from the conveying means;

a plurality of coil covers, each cover having a surface engageable with the other end of a coil supported on the conveying means and adapted to extend transversely across the central space of the coil annulus;

coil cover handling apparatus including a transfer device at a covering station following the loading station for placing a cover on the other end of a coil supported on the conveying means, and a transfer device at an uncovering station preceding the unloading station for removing the cover from the coil;

a cooling zone including means for circulating air through the covered coils during at least a portion of their movement from the covering to the uncovering stations; and,

said conveying means including a forwarding section along which the carriers are advanced from the covering to the uncovering stations in close-packed relation, and a return section along which the carriers are advanced in spaced relation and at a greater rate of travel.

2. A coil cooling system according to claim 1 wherein said coil cover handling apparatus is operable to transfer coil covers from one path to the other.

3. A coil cooling system according to claim 1 wherein the coil supporting bed of each coil carrier includes spaced beams, thespacing between the beams permitting the loading and unloading of a coil and providing an air passage adapted to communicate with the central space of a coil supported on the beams.

4. A system for cooling rod or bar stock formed into annular coils, each coil having a pair of ends and a cen tral space extending axially between the ends, comprismg:

coil conveying means capable of supporting one end of each coil and moving the coils between a loading station at which a coil is placed upon the conveying carriers are moved from the loading to the unloading station, and a return section along which the coil carriers are moved from the unloading to the loading station; and,

means for returning coil covers from the uncovering station to the covering station, said means including coil carriers moving on said return section.

5. A system for cooling rod or bar stock formed into annular coils, each coil having a pair of ends and a cen- 10 tral space extending axially between the ends, compriscoil conveying means including a plurality of coil carriers, each coil carrier comprising a car having wheels adapted to travel on a pair of rails, and having a coil supporting bed capable of supporting one end of each coil, and means for moving the coil carriers between a loading station at which a coil is placed upon a conveying means and an unloading station at which a coil is removed from the conveying means;

a plurality of coil covers, each cover having a surface engageable with the other end of a coil supported on the conveying means and adapted to extend transversely across the central space of the coil annulus;

coil cover handling apparatus including a transfer device at a covering station for placing a cover on the other end of a coil supported on the conveying means, and a transfer device at an uncovering station for removing the cover from the coil, the conveying means including forwarding means for moving the coil carriers from the covering to the uncovering stations in a close-packed relation in which each carrier engages each preceding carrier; and,

means and an unloading station at which a coil is removed from the conveying means;

a plurality of coil covers, each cover having a surface engageable with the other end of a coil supported on the conveying means and adapted to extend transversely across the central space of the coil annulus;

coil cover handling apparatus including a transfer device at a covering station following the loading station for placing a cover on the other end of a coil supported on the conveying means, and a transfer device at an uncovering station preceding the unloading station for removing the cover from the coil;

cooling zone including means for circulating air through the covered coils during at least a portion of their movement from the covering to the uncovering stations; and,

said conveying means including a plurality of coil carriers, a forwarding section along which the coil 6. A system for cooling rod or bar stock formed into annular coils, each coil having a pair of ends and a central space extending axially between the ends, comprising:

coil conveying means capable of supporting one end of each coil and moving the coils between a loading station at which a coil is placed upon the conveying means and an unloading station at which a coil is removed from the conveying means; a plurality of coil covers, each coil cover including a mandrel having a nose portion at one end thereof, a cover member having a surface engageable with the other end of a coil supported on the conveying means and adapted to extend transversely across the central space of the coil annulus, means mounting the cover member on the mandrel, and interen- 65 gageable positioning means on the conveying means and the nose portion of the mandrel for locating the coil cover relative to the conveying means;

coil cover handling apparatus including a transfer device at a covering station following the loading station for placing a cover on the other end of a coil supported on the conveying means, and a transfer device at an uncovering station preceding the unloading station for removing the cover from the coil; and,

a cooling zone including means for circulating air through the covered coils during at least a portion of their movement from the covering to the uncovering stations.

7. In a system for cooling coils each having multiple strands of rod or bar stock forming an annular body with a pair of ends and a central space extending axially between the ends, the improvement comprising:

a coil cover including a mandrel insertable axially in the central space of a coil and a cover member mounted on the mandrel, the cover member having a surface engageable with one end of a coil;

conveying means for supporting the other end of the coil; and,

interengageable means on the mandrel and on the conveying means for positioning the coil cover relative to the conveying means.

8. A coil cooling system according to claim wherein the forwarding means includes a drive member engageable with one carrier and capable of causing that carrier to push all preceding carriers.

9. A coil cooling system according to claim 8 wherein the drive member is mounted on a shuttle device movable on forwarding and return strokes a distance corresponding to the length of a carrier in the forwarding direction of carrier movement.

10. A coil cooling system according to claim 1 further including means for transferring carriers between said forwarding and return sections.

11. A coil cooling system according to claim 1 wherein said forwarding and return sections are arranged in parallel paths, and means is provided for transferring carriers from one path to the other.

12. A coil cooling system according to claim 11 wherein each coil carrier is capable of supporting a plurality of coils, and a plurality of loading stations are arranged along the means for transferring coil carriers from the return section to the forwarding section.

13. A coil cooling system according to claim 6 wherein the mandrel is provided at the other end thereof with handling means engageable by the transfer devices of the coil cover handling apparatus.

14. A coil cooling system according to claim 6 wherein the means mounting the cover member on the mandrel provides for limited sliding movement of the cover member relative to the mandrel.

15. A coil cooling system according to claim 4 wherein the coil cover handling apparatus at the uncovering station is operable to load a cover removed from a coil onto a coil carrier on said return section.

16. A coil cooling system according to claim 4 wherein the forwarding and return sections of the conveying means are arranged in parallel relation and each transfer device of the coil cover handling apparatus includes a carriage movable transversely between said sections.

17. A coil cooling system according to claim 7 wherein the cover member is movable relative to the mandrel for engagement with the other end of a coil.

18. A coil cooling system according to claim 7 wherein coil cover handling means is provided on the mandrel.

19. A coil cooling system according to claim 7 wherein the conveying means is provided with a coil supporting bed formed by spaced beams including a central beam and at least one outside beam on each side of the central beam, the spacing between said beams permitting the loading and unloading of a coil and providing an air passage adapted to communicate with the central space of coil supported on the beams.

20. A coil handling system according to claim 19 wherein said interengageable means comprises a socket on the central beam and a nose portion on the mandrel. l

3233 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTEFKCATE 7 OF OORRECTION Patent No. 3813087 Dated May 28, I974 nv fl Walter G Boehm and Gordon A. Torrance It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 4, line 63, "forward" should read "forwarding-- Column .10, line 24 (line 3 of claim 17),, "other" should read --one--.

Signed end sealed this 8th day of October 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

MCCOY MG GIBSON JRo C. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. A system for cooling rod or bar stock formed into annular coils, each coil having a pair of ends and a central space extending axially between the ends, comprising: coil conveying means including a plurality of coil carriers, each coil carrier comprising a car having wheels adapted to travel on a pair of rails, and having a coil supporting bed capable of supporting one end of each coil, and means for moving the coil carriers between a loading station at which a coil is placed upon a conveying means and an unloading station at which a coil is removed from the conveying means; a plurality of coil covers, each cover having a surface engageable with the other end of a coil supported on the conveying means and adapted to extend transversely across the central space of the coil annulus; coil cover handling apparatus including a transfer device at a covering station following the loading station for placing a cover on the other end of a coil supported on the conveying means, and a transfer device at an uncovering station preceding the unloading station for removing the cover from the coil; a cooling zone including means for circulating air through the covered coils during at least a portion of their movement from the covering to the uncovering stations; and, said conveying means including a forwarding section along which the carriers are advanced from the covering to the uncovering stations in close-packed relation, and a return section along which the carriers are advanced in spaced relation and at a greater rate of travel.
 2. A coil cooling system according to claim 1 wherein said coil cover handling apparatus is operable to transfer coil covers from one path to the other.
 3. A coil cooling system according to claim 1 wherein the coil supporting bed of each coil carrier includes spaced beams, the spacing between the beams permitting the loading and unloading of a coil and providing an air passage adapted to communicate with the central space of a coil supported on the beams.
 4. A system for cooling rod or bar stock fOrmed into annular coils, each coil having a pair of ends and a central space extending axially between the ends, comprising: coil conveying means capable of supporting one end of each coil and moving the coils between a loading station at which a coil is placed upon the conveying means and an unloading station at which a coil is removed from the conveying means; a plurality of coil covers, each cover having a surface engageable with the other end of a coil supported on the conveying means and adapted to extend transversely across the central space of the coil annulus; coil cover handling apparatus including a transfer device at a covering station following the loading station for placing a cover on the other end of a coil supported on the conveying means, and a transfer device at an uncovering station preceding the unloading station for removing the cover from the coil; a cooling zone including means for circulating air through the covered coils during at least a portion of their movement from the covering to the uncovering stations; and, said conveying means including a plurality of coil carriers, a forwarding section along which the coil carriers are moved from the loading to the unloading station, and a return section along which the coil carriers are moved from the unloading to the loading station; and, means for returning coil covers from the uncovering station to the covering station, said means including coil carriers moving on said return section.
 5. A system for cooling rod or bar stock formed into annular coils, each coil having a pair of ends and a central space extending axially between the ends, comprising: coil conveying means including a plurality of coil carriers, each coil carrier comprising a car having wheels adapted to travel on a pair of rails, and having a coil supporting bed capable of supporting one end of each coil, and means for moving the coil carriers between a loading station at which a coil is placed upon a conveying means and an unloading station at which a coil is removed from the conveying means; a plurality of coil covers, each cover having a surface engageable with the other end of a coil supported on the conveying means and adapted to extend transversely across the central space of the coil annulus; coil cover handling apparatus including a transfer device at a covering station for placing a cover on the other end of a coil supported on the conveying means, and a transfer device at an uncovering station for removing the cover from the coil, the conveying means including forwarding means for moving the coil carriers from the covering to the uncovering stations in a close-packed relation in which each carrier engages each preceding carrier; and, a cooling zone including means for circulating air through the covered coils during at least a portion of their movement from the covering to the uncovering stations, including a plenum chamber provided below the path of carrier movement, the carriers in close-packed relation forming a partial cover for the plenum chamber, and the coil supporting bed of each carrier being provided with a passage to permit the circulation of air between the plenum chamber and the central space of a coil supported on the bed of a carrier.
 6. A system for cooling rod or bar stock formed into annular coils, each coil having a pair of ends and a central space extending axially between the ends, comprising: coil conveying means capable of supporting one end of each coil and moving the coils between a loading station at which a coil is placed upon the conveying means and an unloading station at which a coil is removed from the conveying means; a plurality of coil covers, each coil cover including a mandrel having a nose portion at one end thereof, a cover member having a surface engageable with the other end of a coil supported on the conveying means and adapted to extend transversely across the central space of the coil annulus, means mounting the cover memBer on the mandrel, and interengageable positioning means on the conveying means and the nose portion of the mandrel for locating the coil cover relative to the conveying means; coil cover handling apparatus including a transfer device at a covering station following the loading station for placing a cover on the other end of a coil supported on the conveying means, and a transfer device at an uncovering station preceding the unloading station for removing the cover from the coil; and, a cooling zone including means for circulating air through the covered coils during at least a portion of their movement from the covering to the uncovering stations.
 7. In a system for cooling coils each having multiple strands of rod or bar stock forming an annular body with a pair of ends and a central space extending axially between the ends, the improvement comprising: a coil cover including a mandrel insertable axially in the central space of a coil and a cover member mounted on the mandrel, the cover member having a surface engageable with one end of a coil; conveying means for supporting the other end of the coil; and, interengageable means on the mandrel and on the conveying means for positioning the coil cover relative to the conveying means.
 8. A coil cooling system according to claim 5 wherein the forwarding means includes a drive member engageable with one carrier and capable of causing that carrier to push all preceding carriers.
 9. A coil cooling system according to claim 8 wherein the drive member is mounted on a shuttle device movable on forwarding and return strokes a distance corresponding to the length of a carrier in the forwarding direction of carrier movement.
 10. A coil cooling system according to claim 1 further including means for transferring carriers between said forwarding and return sections.
 11. A coil cooling system according to claim 1 wherein said forwarding and return sections are arranged in parallel paths, and means is provided for transferring carriers from one path to the other.
 12. A coil cooling system according to claim 11 wherein each coil carrier is capable of supporting a plurality of coils, and a plurality of loading stations are arranged along the means for transferring coil carriers from the return section to the forwarding section.
 13. A coil cooling system according to claim 6 wherein the mandrel is provided at the other end thereof with handling means engageable by the transfer devices of the coil cover handling apparatus.
 14. A coil cooling system according to claim 6 wherein the means mounting the cover member on the mandrel provides for limited sliding movement of the cover member relative to the mandrel.
 15. A coil cooling system according to claim 4 wherein the coil cover handling apparatus at the uncovering station is operable to load a cover removed from a coil onto a coil carrier on said return section.
 16. A coil cooling system according to claim 4 wherein the forwarding and return sections of the conveying means are arranged in parallel relation and each transfer device of the coil cover handling apparatus includes a carriage movable transversely between said sections.
 17. A coil cooling system according to claim 7 wherein the cover member is movable relative to the mandrel for engagement with the other end of a coil.
 18. A coil cooling system according to claim 7 wherein coil cover handling means is provided on the mandrel.
 19. A coil cooling system according to claim 7 wherein the conveying means is provided with a coil supporting bed formed by spaced beams including a central beam and at least one outside beam on each side of the central beam, the spacing between said beams permitting the loading and unloading of a coil and providing an air passage adapted to communicate with the central space of coil supported on the beams.
 20. A coil handling system according to claim 19 wherein said interengageable means comprises a socket on the central beam and a nose pOrtion on the mandrel. 